Electrical conductor.



" No. 867,416. I PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907.

P. W.'RIGHEY'- ELECTRICAL 00NDUGTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB 10, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Witness? v Invav/wgnr j Frank f |c ey, W b

' No. 867,416. PATENTED OCT. 1, 1907.

H F. W. RICHEY.

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR.

APPLICATION FILED M110, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

y t e t h Pb W. R t nW e M 1 .mm W F W A 7/??? i lli UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

/ FRANK W. RICHEY, OF SGHFNECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW. YORK.

nnn'c'rnrcsr. conbue'ron.

- Specification of Letters Patent. 1} Application ma February 10,1904. Serial No. 192,909.

Patented pct. 1, 1907.

To all -whomit't ntay comma-" Be it known that 1, Farms W. Rrcrrsr a. citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of manufacture ahdconstructipn of electrical conductors such as rail bonds and the like. 10 1 More particularly my invention relates to an electrical conductor having a body composed of a flexible stranded conductor and one or more solid terminal portions securedto the flexible body portion.

The various features of novelty whichchamcterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in "the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of my invention,

. however, reference maybe made to the accompanying,

drawings and description in which I have illustrated and described several embodiments of my invention.

f the drawingsyFigureil is a plan view showing a partially constructed railbd'nd; Fig. 2 isa section taken on the line.2 2 of Fig. 1; 3 is a perspective view of one form of cap piece or blank and Fig. 4 is a perspective view oi a cooperating terminal blank; Fig. 5 is-a perspective view of another form of cap piece, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a terminal blank which may be employed in conjunction therewith; Fig. 7 is a perspcctive view showing a third form of cap piece, and Fig. 8 is a plan view showing this form of cap piece with a coiiperating terminal blank and a portionof the flexible body of the conductor assembled together, parts being broken away; Fig. Q i s a perspective view showing a third form' of terminal. blank, and Fig. 10 is a sectionv showing a terminal body-blank, cooperating cap piece and flexible conductor assembled prior to any compression; Fig. 11 is a view similar to. Fig. lo aiter the parts have received the preliminary compression; l2 isan elevation showing a completed rail bond; Fig. 13 is a section taken on the line 13 13 of Fig. 12 Fig. 14 is a sectional elevation'of the bushing which surrounds the expanding pin, and Fig. 15 is an elevationof said;

1 .bushing.

In all of the forms, of .my invention which I have illustrated in'the' drawings the body 1 of the rail bond is composed of a number of'strands 2 of a ribbon shaped {conductor formed out of; copper or the like. Preferof convolutions .of a single strip or ribbon. In the form of my invention shown in Figs." 1 and 2- ably the body is composed of a number opposite ends 3 and 4 of the stranded bod'yl are formed into substantially circular loops 5. Each loop'h fits in a cap shaped blank or piece 6. The capshaped blank 6 comprises a disk portion 7 and a cylindrical flange por-.

tion 8 and is preferably made out of sheet copper or the like which is stamped or pressed into shapea The huge portion 8 is of a depth somewhat greater than the width of the strips as clearly shown in the drawings.

The flange is cut away at 9 to receive the neck portion which connects the loop 5 with the conductor. 1.

A terminal blank 10, see Fig. 4, having a tapered main or body portion 11, is provided at its upper and larger end with a radially extending flange portion 12, the outer diameter of which is equal to the internal dimain portion of the ameter of the cylindrical'fiange 8. The upper end of the .body 11 and flange 12 close the open end of the chamber formed by the disk 7 and flange 8 of the'cap member 6. A substantially cylindrical projection 13 extends axially from the upper end of the body 11.

This projection enters the space 14 formed in the center I of the logp 5. V

The blank 10 may be formed out of a suitable material such as copper preferably worked into the desired shape by drop forging.

After the parts are assembled they are pressed cold in dies or otherwise to so force the parts together that the walls of the chamber formed by the top of the body 11 and flange 12,-and disk 7 and flange s. or the cap a and the metal contained within said chamber are'compacted into a substantially solid mass from which all air is excluded. By this action the outer periphery of the flange 12 is forced into the flange 8, the lower end of which will be upset somewhat as shownin Fig. 2. This locks the cap 6 and blank 10 firmly together. a y

After compressing the parts together cold in the man- 1 ner described the ends of the rail bond blank thus formed are subjected to a'welding heat and are welded together by the application of suitable pressure as in a drop forge. As the preliminary compression of the parts'into a solid mass when cold excludes all air,

the heating of the blank will not result in the formation of oxide between the surfaces which are to be welded together. This allows a perfect weld to be made. It may in some cases be desirable to employ special steps to remove dirt ,oxids or other impurities from the surfaces of the parts to be welded before assembling them.

Instead of forming the blank 10 with the projection 13 the upper surface of the blank may be plane as shown in Fig. 6. With this construction a projection 15 may be centrally disposed on the under side of the disk7 of the cap piece as shown in Fig. 5. y

In some cases the end of the flexible body 1 may be forced together in such manner as to leave n'orecess 14 as shown in Fig. 8. With this form of the loop 5 a cap blank 6 (Fig. 7) may be employed having a recess 16 formed in its top portion, shaped to receivethe end of the stranded conductor and having a depth equal A conical projection 13 extends upwardly from the body 11 in line with the axis of the blank. The parts are so proportioned that when first assembled they appear as shown in Fig. 10 with an annular space 17 formed between the loop 5, projection l3 and upper surface of the body 11 and flange 12. When the parts are thereafter compressed together cold the outer edge of the flange 12 is forced into the flange 8 of the cap 6 which is preferably of the construction shown in Fig. 3. At the same time the conical projection 13 is upset and caused to assume a cylindrical shape. With this construction the parts may be compacted together very solidly.

After the parts are welded together a hole 18 may be drilled axially through the solid terminal portion in which an expanding member 19 is placed as shown in Fig. 13. The expanding member 19 is preferably 7 formed out of steel or the like and comprises two cylindrical end portions 2 O.and 21 of a diameter to lit the hole 18 cdnnected by tapered end portions to a portion 22 of reduced diameter. The portion 22 is preferably barrel shaped as shown and is softer than the ends which V may be hardened.

A bushing or sleeve 23, which may be split as shown and formed out of brass, copper or the like, surrounds the reduced portion 22. The sleeve or bushing which may be formed out 01 brass, copper or the like is so proportioned that it fills the space between the pin 19 and the walls of the hole 18, having a barrel shaped recess 22 in which the portion 22 is located, and conical recesses 20 and 21 in which the conical ends of the ,portions 20 and 21 are located. The bushing may be formed out of bar metal rolled to have the necessary cross section. Strips may be cutfrom the bar of a proper length and bent about the reduced portion of the pin member 19.

When pressure is applied to the ends of the pin 19 the portion 22 will be upset and the bushing 23 will be expanded. This will cause the body of the terminal to be forced firmly into contact with the wall of the hole or recess formed for the purpose in the rail or other conducting member to which it is connected.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A rail bond comprising a terminal member formed with a projection at one end, a strand ed conductor loopcd about said projection and a sheet metal cap piece formed with a flange, the top of said cap piece covering one side of the looped end of the flexible conductor and the flange embracing the edges of the end of the stranded conductor and a portion of said member.

2. The method which consists in looping a stranded conductor about a projection at one end of a terminal ductoi' with a sheet metal cap blank, thereafter compressin; the parts together cold to form a substantially solid mass from which all air is excluded and then welding: the

parts together.

.l. In combination, a main terminal member, and a cap blank comprising a portion substantially parallel to the end of said terminal member and having a flange extending part way about and upset upon the periphery of said terminal blank, one of said members being formed with a projection about which a stranded conductor may be looped.

4. A rail bond comprising a terminal member having a flange and a centrally formed projection at one end. a stranded conductor looped about said projection and u 1.hcct metal cap piccc covering the looped end oi. said stranded conductor and a 'portion of the terminal member, the edge of the flange being" embedded in the cap piece.

S. The method which consists in looping n stranded conductor about a projection extending centrally from tho dished end of a terminal member, covering the top and sides of the looped conductor and a portion of the terminal member with a sheet metal cap piece. compressing the parts together cold to form a substantially solid mass from which all air is excluded and in such manner as to take the dish out of the end of the terminal member and embed its cdgcs in the cup piece.

it. in combination for use in the manufacture of an electrical conductor comprising a stranded body portion and a solid terminal portion, a cup shaped blank. and a terminal stud having a flange formed at. omcud ol' :l,

diameter to lit in said cap blank, the end of the stud and flange being concavcd.

7. In the terminal of an electrical conductor. an expanding dcvico comprising a pin having end poriions i-onnccted by an intermediate reduced portion, and a split bushing surrounding said reduced portion.

8. In the terminal of an electrical conductor, an ex panding device comprising a pin having end portions connected by an intermediate rcduccd portion and a split bushing surrounding said reduced portion, ihc outer diameter of said bushing being equal to the diameter of said end portions.

9. In the terminal of an electrical conductor, an cxpanding device, comprising a pin having two end portions and a reduced barrel shaped intermediate portion, and a split bushing closely embracing, said bnrrcl shupcd portion with its outer surface flush with the outer surfaces of said end portions.

10. in the terminal of an electrical conductor, an expanding' device comprising a pin havim, end portions conncctcd by an intermediate reduced portion, and a bushing surrounding said reduced portion.

11. in the terminal of an electrical conductor, an expnndlng device comprising a pin havingcylindrical portions connected by an intermediate reduced portion, and a bushing embracing said reduced portion, tho outer surface of said bushing bring, flush with the outer surface of said cylindrical end portion.

12. in combination, for use in the manufacture of an electrical conductorcomprising a strundwl body part and a solid terminal part, a terminal stud having a radial flange, and a cap shaped blank adapted to embrace a portion of the stranded body part and a portion of the periphery of the terminal stud llangc.

13. The method of sccnriul, together a stranded couductor and'a slotted terminal blank which consists in inclosing a portion of the terminal and a portion oi the stranded conductor in a cup shaped shcci: metal bin n k. lhorcafter compressing the parts together cold to form :1 ol stantially solid mass from which all air is (-Xclndod. and thcnavclding the parts together.

in witness whereof I have hereunto sci, my hand this 9th day of February, 1fl04.

FRANK W. ltlClll lY. Witnesses v BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN Onrono. 

